DOGWOOD-AZALEA FESTIVAL SET FOR CHARLESTON THIS WEEKEND

CHARLESTON -- The 25th annual Dogwood-Azalea Festival and tour will be held in Charleston Saturday and Sunday.

Art, cars, dogs and quilts will be featured in shows during the weekend, which will be kicked off with the crowning of the Dogwood-Azalea Queen at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Mississippi County Historical Society Home.

The festival is the product of a citywide planting project that began more than 40 years ago. Now, many visitors come to Charleston every spring to drive or stroll the city streets to see the explosion of blossoms during the two-week blooming season.

On Saturday night, streets will be lit with luminaries, hurricane lamps and spotlights to create an enchanted atmosphere for visitors.

The historical society home will be open for tours from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, and from 1-4 p.m. Sunday. Guides from the garden club also are available for bus tours. Tours are $1 per person.

The parade will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday in downtown Charleston and will end in Rolwing Park, site of much of the weekend's entertainment, which includes carnival rides and arts and crafts booths.

The quilt show, which will include a display of aprons and bonnets, will be held from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and from 1-4 p.m. Sunday in the St. Henry's School gym, 304 Court St.

The art show will be at the same location.

A car show will be presented from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday. On display will be a car that was owned by Elvis Presley, and "Walking Tall" sheriff Buford Pusser's patrol car.

In the vicinity of North Main Road Saturday night, strollers will walk through lanes lined with white luminaries, a candlelight ornament that originated in Mexico and the Southwestern U.S. Dogwoods and banks of azaleas will be spotlighted and strung with twinkling lights. The candlelight walk will be held from 7-8:30 p.m.

The historical home also will host a fish fry with musical entertainment from 4-7 p.m. Saturday, to be followed by an old-time ice cream social at the Masonic Hall.

The dog show will be held at the park at 4 p.m.

On Sunday, the Seventh Kentucky Regiment encampment of Civil War re-enactors will be open for tours from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. across from Rolwing Park.

The festival also will feature a book sale at the Danforth Library, 115 N. Main St. The library will be open from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. Saturday, and from noon-4 p.m. Sunday.

The city's garden club will hold a plant sale Saturday on North Main Road.